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Monday, September 22, 2008

This is what the hutch now looks like with two coats of "Cottage Cream" paint from Sherwin Williams.

Yes, I went with cream.

Yes, I realize that cream was not really an option before.

Yes, I seriously considered many of the suggestions that were offered in the previous hutch spasm story.

Yes, I almost went with black and then I almost went with the same color as the walls, but in the end I wimped out with cream. Or maybe I whipped out with cream!

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha - boy am I funny today.

So back to me, me, me and more me, and also my hutch.

Here are all my problems for you to solve.

1. So far I have not painted the inside of the hutch with the cream paint. Can you even tell from the picture? Or does it all look the same?If by some miracle, you can tell that the inside is still a pale blue/green and the exterior is now a warm cream, I really would appreciate your opinion as to if I should go ahead and paint the inside cream as well. Or if I should paint it an entirely different color. Or if I can leave the inside of the hutch the pale green/blue color and maybe have a slim chance of getting the damn... I mean DANG thing finished in this lifetime.

PS - If you vote for painting it cream or painting it an entirely different color - YOU HAVE TO COME OVER AND DO IT FOR ME!!!

2. My second problem is even spazzier than the first. Do you see how the top of the hutch is currently sitting on the bottom of the hutch? I don't know if you realize this, but the top of the hutch used to hang on the wall suspend about a foot above the bottom of the hutch.

Like the above pic.

This is not how I intended for the hutch to be. I originally drew the hutch to be a single piece, but the country doctor was concerned that we would not have enough counter space, and so at the last minute, the cabinet makers hung the top of the hutch a foot above the bottom of the hutch. We could not hang it any higher because of the vent on the wall. And guess what? We do really use that counter space. Mostly to catch all the junk mail, and the permission slips and the book orders, and the soccer schedules and the school picture packets... which keeps the other counters free from all that junk, which makes me pretty happy. On the other hand, I always though that the two part hutch looked kind of odd.

3. Can you also tell that we took off the crown moulding and we moved the hutch out from the wall? Am I the only person on the planet who cares this much about my silly little hutch? If there is anyone still reading this - I always wanted my kitchen hutch to LOOK LIKE A HUTCH! But it never really did. So I am considering giving it a complete makeover. I want to move it away from the wall, put on a new countertop that is edged all the way around, find a smaller crown moulding for the top. I would also like the cabinet makers to build a piece that goes in between the countertop and the upper cabinet that sort of connects the two pieces together so it looks like a whole. I know this is all terribly confusing so look... I drew a really bad picture...

Is it all crystal clear now?

Do you think that it will look terrible and I should just put it back like it was? Should I keep the upper cabinet on the lower cabinet? Is anyone still with me?

Anyone?

So cream inside or cream not inside?

Upper on lower or upper not on lower?

Out from the wall or not out from the wall?

Place her in psychiatric care immediately or sedate her and lobotomize the frontal lobe?

50 comments:

Deborah P
said...

Since I'm the first to comment, does that make what I say, go? I wish life was like that. :)

Here's my two cents worth:

1) Leave the inside the color it is at the moment until you get sick of that and then paint it. That will probably be easier than all the painting you've already done. But, if you absolutely HAVE to paint the inside now, don't paint it cream, pick a color - like your wall color or another color the same intensity as the wall color.

2) Upper NOT on the lower - if you don't want to attach it to the wall like you used to have it, then have a connecting piece with a back so that the wall does not show through and it looks like one piece of furniture; the connecting piece painted cream. I like it better with some crown molding on the top - looks more finished, but smaller would be good, as you suggested.

3) Either way (out from the wall or not out from the wall) looks fine from the front, but isn't there a lot of space between the back of the piece and the wall which is visible from a side view when it's flush with the left (looking at it straight-on) wall? If so, definitely NOT out from the wall. I can't remember what's on the wall on the right side of the hutch, but if there is room, just center it on the wall you have and it will look like the piece of furniture that it is.

Uhmmm what she said (Since you obviously do what April wants you to do ... or the opposite of what April wants you to do anyway). and hey we're not the ones who 4 minutes before you take the kids to the bus stop have to FIND the permission slip <~~~ note cheesy grin.Rooth (over here playing with my paper dolls)

You know - I kinda like it hanging the way it was! But, then it seems like it's not really a hutch... maybe you should buy another hutch (a real one - a piece of furniture than cannot be chopped in half and hung on the wall) & put it somewhere else.... HUTCH. hutch, hutch, hutch, hutch, hutch, hutch, hutch hutch.

Definitely paint the interior but it needs to be a strong colour to balance your dark cabinets and make it seem as a piece of furniture that fits. Get rid of the blue, wayyyyyyy too pale with the cream.

DO NOT put any of the wall colour in the cabinet. A DIFFERENT colour. And I'd love to come over and paint it for ya, but Kansas is a looong way from home. Long ways.

So pull up yer socks and do it yer self. But keep yer stick on the ice. You'd have to be Canadian to understand that ;)

Hang it back on the wall and put up crown molding, it deserves it. And I might just go with more of an antique cream to make it more farm house. Its a tad bright and clean right now. Though 4 sets of grimy hands could make short work of that!

Love the drawing. I'd make it one piece just as you have drawn it. As a matter of fact that looks like the drawing of the one my husband is supposed to make me. As for painting, Love the cream on the outside but would go with a pastel color on the inside, very light yellow or maybe baby blue (can never have too much blue). Not too fond of the blue green that is there. Looks dated to me, it is similar to the color that my grandparents painted the house we lived in and my dad resisted changing. I'm all about counter space so pick that thing up and bridge it. Susan

1) Paint the inside - no cream. Color is good!2) Re-hang upper part of hutch. Add a connecting piece to tie the two pieces together. Paint the connecting piece like the rest of the hutch.3) I'm neutral on the crown molding. Surprise me.4) Move it back against the left wall. Why do you want that tiny little space there? Don't you know that it is just going to be a breeding ground for dust bunnies? Nobody else could possibly get back there. Also, I don't like how the light switch is right up against the hutch on the right side. It looks like the hutch is too big for the space.5) Do whatever your sweet little heart wants to do. 'Cause you're going to do that anyway, right? You just proved it to us by painting the hutch cream. Cream? Where did that come from?6) This giving advice stuff is hard.

I'm going to stick with the suggestion I gave earlier ... paint the inside the beautiful pumpkin color.

Whether to keep the upper on the lower: it depends on what you've got to display. Having the upper on the wall gives you more space to display larger pitchers or bowls that match whatever is in the hutch. Or it could be a display place for something that doesn't match at all.

What the heck! You didn't listen to me the first time so no more suggestions for you! I will personally come over and paint the thing the color you should have chosen in the first place (which is black)just as soon as I finish up here. I've only been working here for 7 years; give me another 7and I'll be right over. ;)

This whole subject makes me feel exactly like I did while we were building our house...tired.

The paint on the interior is nice. Unless you want more of a pop, in which case you should just pop yourself in the hiney because it's gonna be a lot of work.

I love the drawing. I can totally see it. Find out if it would be easier to put the top piece back on the wall or if it would be easier to attach it above the bottom piece with space in between. I assume you're not doing the carpentry work so do those guys a favor and do the easiest thing for them.

I happen to like creamy white. It's old timey and matches the look of your house.

Cream? I'm so sad you didn't paint it red. Oh well. It actually looks kinda pink in your photos... I'll take your word for it on the cream. As for your questions, yes, no, yes, no, I don't know, deffinitely. The inside needs to be painted. Red. Or something, just don't leave it blueish. And I like your sketched idea. Do that. :-)

I know, I've never commented...but I care about your hutch. I love the way it looks like a solid piece of furniture when the top sits on the bottom. But when you are looking at the whole kitch and all of the cabinets and counters, it may look less like a piece of furniture and more like a cabinet that is still waiting to be hung. And the counterspace you gain from hanging the top part is pretty valuable, isn't it?

About the painting, I don't know. Maybe you could do some type of paper treatment inside that isn't permanent so you can change it every once in a while? I'm sure that's a bad idea...

Anyway, personally, I would leave it next to the wall, with the back hanging on the wall. I like the little side doohickies you drew. But honestly, I don't think anyone but you is really going to give a hoot whether it has the little side doohickies or not. In fact, most people upon leaving your home will not even remember there's a hutch in the kitchen.

I like the blue inside. I'm all for contrasting colors on the inside of bookcases and cabinets and such.

Okay, squirrel in traffic CDW. . . you're sounding scarily like me in a similar situation. I'll weigh in with my opinion. I like the cream (even though my last opinion was pumpkin - I like how the cream turned out). I think the inside should be a different color - like your wall color or a variation of that color. I love the drawing - so go with that archy piece to make the hutch "one piece" - that's not too hard to do (talk to your cabinet man). And I'd totally come and paint it for you, if you'd come dig out my stamp room for me. Hang in there!

I would take the wall color and wallpaper the back with a coordinating pattern and do the left and right inside walls in the cream. I would shove it back and to the left. I would leave the top sitting on the bottom like it is. Then put something purty on top.

I am not looking at the others til after I spill my guts. Cream InsideUpper not on lowerI am torn on out or not out from the wall..OUT I guess. Out gets you dust bunnies and a hard place to clean. But some things must be sacrificed for the "look."

Now you will need smaller crown moulding, and a different countertop, and have the cabinet maker build you the extensions which may or may not give you the hutch you really want.AND do these extensions cover the back or not, if not then you could have a very pretty coppery backsplash on your hutch! Good luck:)

And I really think you should paint the inside a deep color. What are you planning on putting in there? Some dainty china pattern from your great granny? It would look so much better on a darker color, it wouldn't get lost in all the (clotted) cream.

I don't know about the color stuff, it takes me more than a year to make color choices and by that time the color I want is a) no longer available or b) no longer in style. But I like the connection pieces between the counter and the top and I thought the drawing was nice.

Hi there. I have been a "lurker" for a while now. Love your blog(s). And I love the cream color on the hutch. From the pictures, I like the color it is on the inside, but without actually seeing it in person, it's hard to say. Do you have anything else in the vicinity that matches the inside color? If not, paint it a coordinating color, but keep it light like it is. It looks crisp and clean to me. I also either think you should keep the top on the bottom or add the attachment from your drawing. Either way makes it look more "complete".

BTW, I LOVE your brick pathway. That is so incredibly awesome! Great job on that one!!

Leave the paint inside as it is. You can always paint it later. I'm with you on wanting it to look like a hutch....which it doesn't when it's hanging on the wall as it was. However, fixing it as it is in your drawing is the perfect solution (except that you have to wait for the carpenters to do their thing). It make it one piece....a true hutch...and still preserves that little mail catcher you like. If it takes a little more time, so be it. After all, you have to live with it a time...it might as be the way you want it.

TOTALLY got what you were saying before the picture. I actually kinda dig that rounded siding to keep them separated. What will you do with that space though if you DO have an open counter space there? I like it the spot that it's in. A little away from the wall. If you don't wanna go through the trouble of getting that middle piece fitted, I also think it looks amazingly awesome the way it is.

I like the blue/gray/green color that's inside the hutch. Leave it as is for now ... or forever. Or paint the inside that awesome green. lol heck, I kinda liked the red with the brown stain. Hey, I have an idea, why don't you come to TN to come help me decorate MY new house!?!! LOL

This is my suggestion that maybe will spark an idea for you. First...have your cabinet maker attach the top of the hutch to the bottom with a back and sides between the two main pieces. Paint the inside a warm pumpkin color to pick up the color of your cabinets in the kitchen and make it all flow together. The crown molding is not a big issue in my opinion other than if you decide to use it go for a little smaller molding instead of the one you were using.

Your drawing is good. What I have seen that looks REALLY great and countrified is cabinets/hutches that have a beadboard back. So if it's possible to replace the back board with a beadboard, raising the upper from the lower, and continuing to the lower with the side pieces as you drew, it would really give it the distinction of a hutch. I realize this board replacing may not be possible though...If you can't do beadboard, definitely paint the background something different and contrasting. A pop of color that stands out with the walls (same intensity or it will fade out).

I would paint the "counter top" also (cream) to make it look more like furniture rather than cabinetry.

i think that you should paint the inside one of those beautiful blue colors. that would look nice. and i kind of like it seperated. we have a butler's pantry,a nd a hutch! but the butler's pantry needs work. i told youi about it the other day. head on over and vote!

The cream isn't bad... it looks better than it sounds. But, since you went such a calm, neutral color for the outside, I would go with something bold on the inside... you certainly can stick with what is there, but I liked the suggestion of the pumpkin color. I really liked that color too.

Definitely raise it up and connect the two pieces. If you're worried about collecting junk, put a couple cute baskets or trays there so at least there is a place to put things like that, and it looks neat.

Definitely add crown molding. I like the piece you originally had on it, but whatever you decide will work.

I would move it back against the walls... the light switch is too close to it now.

Well, since you asked...I noticed right away that the crown molding was gone, and I cried because I missed it so. Also, I like it arranged the first way all the way. And C, your interior color will look fabulous regardless of your choice. It just will.

Okay, I would hang the top, build a connection, and paint a contrasting color. Also, being pulled away from the wall may aesthetically look better, problems will invariably arise with things falling in the black hole area and not being seen - or retrieved - easily. That being said, it would probably be okay to not hassle with painting the inside. I know from my experiences with issues like these, I agonize the small things that later seem to be unimportant. Its what will make your life flow more smoothly.

I think you need to either hang the cabinet back on the wall or build the little space thingy from your drawing. (Yes, I could tell *exactly* what you were talking about from that drawing--and from my previous knowledge of hutches. Pat yourself on the back for your mad skillz.) I do think that the wall space gives the illusion of that middle piece you would have built with less cost and fuss, though. I like the crown moulding you had, but I can see how different crown moulding would be nice. Not better, just probably equal. (Gee, I'm helpful.)

Now, since you decided to go with the blue inside, I'm thinking this is going to have kind of a Scandinavian feel. I would find some cool stencil (unless you can freehand it) and paint it on that wall between the two pieces or on your middle section you will have built. I think I have something in my files. I look for it when I get home from my chiro appt. and see if I can scan it in and email it to you.

Ugh. I've scanned in 5 pages of a 2002 BH&G magazine article with pictures of a Swedish style home in the colors you're leaning towards. It won't go through--yet. I'm going to try separating the attachments into two batches.

I have had a devil of a time leaving a comment and hope this one takes. Thank you for going with my recommendation of CREAM. I'm sure others were on our team. No keep going. Paint the entire piece CREAM. But 1st - hang the upper portion higher and have your cabinetmaker make a piece to join the two. It will look like one classic piece. You'll enjoy the additional counter space.I can't believe I took the time to make sure you got my input. Good luck with creating a comfortable home.

Okay Rechelle, is the email address on the other blog correct? 'Cause I can't seem to send those pictures. I don't remember the last thing you said about interior color, but I would go with the yellow of the kitchen walls or the cream and then paint a little Scandinavian artsy fartsy dodah--maybe along with a phrase in Swedish that no one can read (wouldn't it be fun just to make something up?)--on that part between the top and bottom halves.

1)Leave the inside the way it is, I love the three colors together.2)Build the connecting back piece and the front piece that you sketched (actually a very good drawing) and separate the two pieces.3) Don't have it away from the wall. If you do, then it means you have to clean that area regulary and unless you task that job to one of the boys, I wouldn't go there.

Hutch? What hutch? I thought this was just another cabinet like all the others in the kitchen (see previous fotos of kitchen cabinets) ... except unfinished ... and abused with paint. Does this mean it will end up in the Dining Room at some point? (what with re-arranging the house ... shoving furniture around ... hutches being hutches ... etc.) If it's a hutch, then you might need to consider an entirely different set of colors ... because it's mobile ...

I like the hutch. I like your drawing. Put that piece in there so it looks like one piece of furniture and put that crown molding back at the top. Beautiful.

The paint color should really be your choice. I like the cream. I can't really tell what the inside color is. It looks different in most of the shots. Go with your gut feeling.

OR you can do like me and let your boys pick the colors. I am now painting my girl's room who is in college for my boy. It's a deep dark blue on three walls and black on one wall. He's going to put artwork on that black wall. I'm so brave...plus I know where I can buy Kilz when he moves out.